Tokyo, 2 June, /AJMEDIA/
Over 10,000 food items in Japan to see price hike in 2022: survey
TOKYO – Over 10,000 food items in Japan will experience price increases of an average 13 percent this year as a result of rising materials costs and the yen’s rapid depreciation, a survey by a credit research firm showed Wednesday.
The Teikoku Databank Ltd. survey found that 105 major food manufacturers had raised prices on 6,285 products by June, with price hikes planned for an additional 4,504 products from July onward.
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U.S., Taiwan launch initiative outside new regional economic framework
WASHINGTON – The United States and Taiwan launched a new initiative to deepen trade ties on Wednesday, following the self-ruled island’s exclusion from the recently launched U.S.-led economic framework for the Indo-Pacific.
Discussions for the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade, which will address issues including customs procedures and digital economy practices, could lead to “agreements with high standard commitments,” according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
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S. Korea ruling party looks set to win majority of key local elections
SEOUL – South Korea’s ruling People Power Party looks set to win more than half of the 17 metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial posts in local elections Wednesday, an exit poll shows, adding to the momentum for Yoon Suk Yeol following his razor-thin victory in the presidential race over two months ago.
The ruling party is projected to grab 10 of the 17 posts and the main opposition Democratic Party is expected to gain four, while the other three races remain too close to call, according to a joint exit poll by the country’s three major broadcasters, KBS, MBC and SBS.
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U.S. announces new $700 mil. aid to Ukraine, including rocket systems
WASHINGTON – U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced a new $700 million security assistance package for Ukraine including more advanced rocket systems in the face of Russia’s continuing military aggression against its neighbor.
The move will bring total U.S. military assistance to Ukraine to approximately $4.6 billion since Russia launched its invasion Feb. 24, according to the U.S. government.
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Japan, U.S. hold 1st strategic talks on ASEAN, with China in sight
TOKYO – Japan and the United States held their first strategic dialogue Wednesday on Southeast Asian affairs as part of broader policy coordination in an area under increasing Chinese influence.
Senior officials from the two governments met virtually after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed during talks last week in Tokyo to boost ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
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Japan, France vow to closely cooperate over Ukraine, Indo-Pacific
TOKYO – Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and French Emmanuel Macron agreed Wednesday to closely coordinate their responses to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and assistance to the war-torn country.
Kishida told Macron during their phone talks that he attaches great importance to Japan-French cooperation in safeguarding the rules-based international order undermined by Russia’s war in Ukraine and realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
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Japan’s FY 2021 tax revenue to hit record high above 65 tril. yen
TOKYO – Japan’s tax revenue in fiscal 2021 is likely to surpass 65 trillion yen ($502 billion) for a record high as revenues from corporate and other key taxes are expected to expand amid the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, government sources said Wednesday.
While corporate tax revenue for the year that ended March has so far increased 20 percent from a year earlier, income tax and consumption tax are also forecast to grow and boost the overall revenue to mark a record for the second straight year.
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China continues to dominate Asia univ. ranking
LONDON – Chinese universities topped a ranking of Asian institutions for 2022, taking both first and second place for the second year in a row, British magazine Times Higher Education said Wednesday.
Tsinghua University and Peking University ranked first and second, followed by the National University of Singapore, with the top three unchanged from a year earlier. The University of Tokyo came sixth, also unchanged.
